Alexis Murphy Missing: Suspect Randy Allen Taylor Arrested For Abduction Under Investigation For Possible Serial Abduction and Murder With Ties Also To Samantha Clarke and Alicia Showalter Reynolds
Nelson County, VA-
Randolph Taylor
Announced this morning by Virginia Commonwealth Attorney an arrest has been made in the abduction of missing Lovington woman Alexis Murphy.
Randolph Allen Taylor, is being held in Albemarle County Jail on a kidnapping charge.
Murphy’s vehicle was found over the weekend in a Charlottesville Carmike parking lot near her job at a consignment boutique, Murphy has not been located and was last seen at a gas station approximately 39 miles away.
Taylor was the recent recipient of vacated charges when Green County, VA Major Randy Snead authorized the placement of a GPS, without a warrant, under Taylor’s 1993 Gran Marquis while investigating his association to another missing woman- Samantha Clarke.
Snead was exonerated in any wrongdoing after he chased a 19 year old man who had stolen a deputies vehicle out of his jurisdiction and was part of over twenty officer’s responsible for shooting the suspect, Colby Eppard.
The FBI is also looking for a GMC Suburban which is also associated with Randy Taylor.
During today’s press conference, Richmond FBI Chief announced that law enforcement will not be commenting on reports of Taylor’s suspect status in other possibly related unsolved cases, however, www.blinkoncrime has learned that at the top of the possible case list is the unsolved abduction and murder of Alicia Showalter Reynolds. Taylor bears a strikingly similar resemblance to the sketch generated in Reynolds disappearance and murder.
1996 Showalter Suspect
Two unsolved murders in 1996 Shenandoah National Park, Julianne Williams and Lollie Winans which resulted in a 2002 indictment against Darrell Rice ended in the withdrawal of same in 2004 due to a DNA profile found that did not match Rice. It is not known if police are investigating any potential involvement by Taylor in that case.
Although Virginia State Police and the FBI have a DNA match to whom they believe is responsible for the assault and murder of Morgan Harrington after she was denied re-entry into a Metallica concert at John Paul Jones arena- which matches a composite sketch of an African American man also wanted for a sexual assault in 2005 in Fairfax, sources inside Harrington’s unsolved murder case have confirmed that they have been asked to look into any similarities.
This is a developing story, please check back to blinkoncrime.com as more details become available.
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According to locals, the suspect does not live in the camper in Nelson. It was located on his mothers property and rumored to be a place where he “partied”. I have heard he lived in Ruckersville which is probably an hour from Nelson where the trailer was and about 15-20 minutes from the theatre where the car was found. It would be an area that would not be very crowded and I don’t think there is any relation to her relatives living close by. My guess is that the suspect drove someone there on his way back to Ruckersville and they walked over the near by apartments or the suspect dropped the car at the theater and walked over to the near by apartments. There are a couple of apartment complexes near by and one in particular is known for a lot of drug dealing. I heard a local rumor that in Louisa County they located a vehicle over the weekend matching the description the suspect gave the police of the “corn row drug dealer”. My prayer is that they connect the suspect and any accomplice to unsolved cases in this area. Women are precious treasures and should be treated as such not just a piece of meat whatever for sick individuals to do what they please. So many families need some peace, they need answers.
The property is not owned by his Mother. He has relatives in Cville .
B
@ B..Is/did someone else reside in the house that you know of? I assume he paid rent for living on the property, or was he just “squatting” on abandoned property that still has electricity hooked up? Hmm…I can only keep up with this as time allows, as I have my own teenager to keep tabs on. So you don’t think Alexis was actually in the camper or on that property, that it was all part of his twisted story to cover his butt? My mind is blown.
Not what I said. I was referring to evidentiary burdens in forensics, and that he has family and our associates residences he has access to. And good on you for keeping an eye on your teen!
B
I have spent days trying to figure out who Rat’s family is. I have failed and I do not like failure, lol. I am of the impression that someone in his family lives in the apartments close to where Alexis’ car was found in cville.
@Olivia,
I am not surprised there are foot paths through the woods and I am sure RAT knew about them. I doubt Alexis did, however, because her family has stated that she was very unfamiliar with the area. In fact, one person (and now I can’t find the cite) said she did not even know her uncle lived back there. So I do not believe she had visited that apartment frequently. I assume family gatherings were not at that apartment but rather at other relatives’ homes. That is one of the reasons I think it is just a coincidence, and more likely that it is a good place to drop a car on the way to Greene County, his comfort zone (and my home as well!).
Having lived in the South for over half a century, I feel it pertinent to point out that there are a lot of people living out of the mainstream with no fixed home address and no documented source of income, or sometimes just a disability check. Living in a mobile home, or even a camper, in a relative’s back yard. Some drift from place to place, and often have some family ties wherever they go. These people are not “poor” or “homeless” in the ways most people define those ideas, but, it is in some ways a lifestyle they choose. They generally don’t file tax returns or receive W-2 forms, but get by with labor for cash, odd jobs, and possible petty theft or drug sales. A lot of these people get by by stealing copper wire and other resalable metals.
If RAT fits this description, then most of his friends and associates will also travel in the same circle, and most of them will have something to hide from LE, and probably will be unwilling to deal with LE without being offered something in return.
If RAT has been involved with copper thefts, for example, he would, in his scavenging, become familiar with a lot of out of sight locations.
Many of these individuals are of Scotch-Irish descent. Although most Scotch-Irish have become assimilated in general society, a few families persist where their historic values of independence and intense family loyalty persists. In some of theses families, no family member would ever be reported to LE, irrespective of the crime.
I suspect RAT believes if he doesn’t confess, he will beat the rap.
Pertinent Indeed. I have never seen anything like it in that particular region.
B
He lived in Lovingston where they arrested him, no? He had recently moved there.
OT — a story that reminds us that even innocent people sometimes get wrongfully convicted.
http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/state-regional/hampton-woman-gets-months-for-falsely-accusing-man/article_fd240d9b-7f36-5763-9f82-d5c40618765c.html
To continue in the area of behavior that may lead to trouble, Alexis has to stop for gas late in the day in order to get back home.
She broke one of my cardinal rules for safety. Check the gas gauge prior to a trip and buy gas before you start. Women and girls should not be buying gas in late evening while driving alone. They should always purchase from a location near home where they are known.
She probably did not tell her family exactly where she was going. Teens will be somewhat devious in reporting their intended destination unless a concerned parent asks the proper questions. They think little about safety risks and have little or no concept of how to get out of a dangerous situation.
OCD alert- Blinkette is beginning the driver in training thing. Lots of safety rules as you can imagine. An unbreakable one, is that the gas tank never goes below half. If it does, the wheels stay on the ground, lol. I realize that much of what I suggest or write supercedes regular parenting norms and falls under occupational hazard- but I implore parents to try some of it on for safety purposes for our kids.
B
A teen with just a year of driving experience should never be allowed to drive outside of their community unless accompanied by a parent or grandparent or an older brother or sister.
http://www.readthehook.com/110023/taylors-encounters-aquaintances-recall-abduction-suspect
That piece is below Ms. Stuart’s standard of achievement, imo. Very Busch league. Anonymous sources knowing an arrested suspect for a gazillion years, and Abermarle records indicating he was born in Pensacola with no link?
People, that is a fact checking sinkhole.
B
I’d like to offer some perspective on the distance that Alexis planned to drive the evening she went missing:
The population of Alexis’s hometown (Shipman) is 507. The nearby town where she stopped for gas (Lovingston) has a population of 520. Combined, these two neighboring towns have fewer residents than the number of kids in my son’s school.
For shopping, people who live in these small towns are accustomed to driving at least 30 miles or more to get the things they need in Lynchburg or Charlottesville. In fact Alexis’ place of employment is a full 34 miles from her home.
Driving long distances is just a way of life for people that live far from amenities and i will venture to guess that Alexis family is accustomed to the distance. Those of us that live in high density areas may find it odd to drive 30-some miles for hair extensions but when you don’t have stores nearby, that’s just what you do.
http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/bond-hearing-closed-to-public-in-nelson-county-abduction-case/article_c1057f98-0a00-11e3-8551-001a4bcf6878.html
1. I have to say, this judge is asking for trouble, lol. Even Hugely did not get a barred hearing.
2. I believe the motion to bar the public and the sealings now include a gag order. While I would do exactly the same thing as a prosecutor- they had better have significant evidence TO DATE to support the charges or Taylor is no stranger to nolle prosequi.
3. It is my personal opinion that LE is running into the- what else did this guy do that we may have missed scenario?
4. Seriously- no press is going to object?
B
I wonder if any witnesses can recall the appearance of the camper from October 17, 2009 at the RV park?! Good memory, Tango!
Slow day it seems, disappointing as Alexis needs to come home. Anyone know when creepy guy is creepy guys bond hearing is this week? @ B..I guess I misread and came to a conclusion about a post..like I said..sort of speed reading between yard work and teen “hovering”. She is hating me right now, but oh well, we have to accept the hate to try to keep them safe.
Here is a link to what I posted the other night regarding the the teen who disappeared from Staunton over the weekend. Something is weird about this and it really doesn’t appear to be connected to other missing persons cases, but it is certainly worth spreading the word since she is also just a child:
http://www.nbc12.com/story/23178113/search-for-missing-13-year-old-girl
It is not unusual for J&DR court to close hearings or seal documents and the like. It is different than circuit court and general district court (Huguely’s bond hearing was in general district court). I would be surprised if an appellate court would consider overturning this ruling. Virginia is extremely protective of minors that end up involved in the judicial system. But we shall see—I have certainly been wrong before:)
Hugely was not thought to have any potential accomplices and there was no chance of saving Yeardley Love at the time of his bond hearing. Closing the hearing to the media makes no difference whatsoever to the standard the prosecutor has to meet at that hearing. In other words, it should make no difference at all to the case against Taylor. it just impacts the media. It gives me a very faint glimmer of hope that they are still holding out the possibility someone else may be out there who they do not want to know what evidence they have and thus alexis could possibly be still alive.
B — Is there anything that leads you to believe Alexis was specifically targeted or do you think this was a crime of opportunity?
targeted. There was a warrant for Taylor before the car was found- LE had to have some way to connect them, although I cannot say that I know the “why” part. She goes to school (or did) with Taylor’s son.
B
Alexis must have been somewhat familiar with the area where her car was found — she works less than a quarter mile away at Kid-to-Kid consignment shop.
mosaic
I understand about the need to go a fair distance to obtain work and things such as food and clothing from one’s home. While Texas has the fourth largest city in the country (Houston) and the third largest metropolitan area (Dallas-Ft Worth), it also has areas that one travels ten to twenty or more miles to a town that has a variety of stores.
The towns in the East were generally about five miles apart when the country was formed. This was a little over an hours walk or half that for a wagon or horseback ride at a gentle pace.
This persisted all over the East and central states including the SE. In the West, where water is difficult to find, towns twenty to thirty miles apart are not uncommon. In the late 1950′s, I drove fifty-six miles one morning on a paved Texas highway without meeting or passing a single vehicle.
While I believe that work experience is important to the development of a young person, teens should be driven to the work place by a family member and picked up when the work day is completed.
I agree with your points Redly- well put as usual. I think that prosecutors and the circuit court are also trying to be proactive in avoiding a change of venue.
“While I believe that work experience is important to the development of a young person, teens should be driven to the work place by a family member and picked up when the work day is completed.”
Or as in my case when I was 15 years old, your mother could make you walk down the beach in a brown and navy polyester A-line waitress uniform with tan pantyhose, topsiders, and a hairnet to get to your job at the retirement community dining room…
Lol. I pictured it. Nothing like hose and a hairnet on the beach to make a teenagers day, lol
B
in regards to always keeping the tank at half full…excellent thing to teach your daughter. the first time my dad took me driving, before he let me put the car into drive, he told me to look at the gas gauge. It was at a half tank. I was like “yea, thats more than enough gas to drive around the high school parking lot and back.” He explained to me why it was important to never let the gas go below half full for safety reasons as well as some other technical reasons i don’t understand lol. Needless to say, our first stop was the gas station! That will always stick in my head, on a long road trip w/my sister a few weeks ago I think we were stopping for gas every two hours…she thought I was insane!
Lol- Mr. Blink’s fave line to tease me.. “It’s not love honey it is just gas.”
B
dda
That is funny. At least you had a beach to walk down. Teens do not want to be seen in clothing they don’t like. I am sure after a little experience with that walk, you just did it and didn’t care who saw you.
And, best of all, you actually had a place to work. Teens today are in a world of no jobs available. Few places are hiring inexperienced teens to work and if they do, it is part time.
I just read a report by the college placement company ACT stating that only 26% of those taking the test as high school seniors were able to test high enough to be assured of a C in college. This report also included those taking the SAT tests with the same result. This does not bode well for our young people in college or the work place.
TGF says:
She broke one of my cardinal rules for safety. Check the gas gauge prior to a trip and buy gas before you start. Women and girls should not be buying gas in late evening while driving alone. They should always purchase from a location near home where they are known.
**********************************************************************
I must say, as much as I complain about the time it takes in Oregon to get gas, I love that it’s illegal for us to pump our own. There’s always someone at the station, and you can stay safely locked in your car. I always complain, because I’m quite sure I can do it faster, but it really is a much safer system.
Jersey here- I agree, especially for women traveling alone- although I must remind all to be vigilant regardless.
B
Blink…goodness knows what you’ve already uncovered. I was curious re family. I saw a comment on another site re an incarcerated brother. Is that true. If so, is this related to RAT’s troubles?
I would have to know exactly what you are talking about to confirm, but I have dozens of posts sent to me every day about RAT, and I am referring to those about “family members” and to date, not one has checked out.
B
I imagine that this question has already been asked here and elsewhere, but is there anything whatsoever to connect rat with anchorage farm? Any even iota of a connection would be interesting to follow up on.
sorry if already posted.
I am working on that mike- I am at the degrees of separation level so far
B
Good grief guys, I am making a list of “rules” for when my teen starts driving, these are not things I even thought about! When I was a teen we would be running on empty and pull into a station, dig for change and come up with maybe a buck fifty to put in..of course gas was a bit cheaper! I have not been to a station in VA in 20 years that still has an attendant that will come out and pump gas for you. It’s actually been longer than that..the last time that happened I could not drive and was with my momma. Now that I think of it, I don’t think mom ever pumped her own gas..EVER.
O/T: My Mother paid for full service as long as I can remember unless Dad was driving. She said “when they create a pump that does not drip on my shoes, then I will still never pump my own gas.” LOL
Ain’t nobody got time for that, I literally own one of those window 2 sided squeegie things- I am so OCD about my vehicle.
I need a wheel-jellie intervention.
B
Hervness
You are lucky to have full service stations and required by law. I don’t remember if I pumped the gas at Salem when I made the trip to Crater Lake. I think that I did.
Texas began self-service in the late 1960′s and today finding a full service station is a rarity.
Sunshine
The technical reason for keeping the tank half-full is to reduce the vapor space above the gasoline. This keeps the light ends such as butanes and propanes from escaping the main liquid. It also is a preventative against fire in the event of a rear end collision.
@ B… Pumped gas on way home from office tonight, and I always step back, awkwardly, so I get no drips on me. I am OCD when I am fortunate to have a “new” to me vehicle, but I tend to get over it with carting around non-driving teens..it’s just a car and I have the most precious cargo. Teens, willing to talk..a little Sweet Frog goes a long way as far as communication goes, so overflowing toppings all over the car is what it is.! At least a clean up was attempted..without my asking!
Back on topic, I am sure missing Alexis, and have never met her or anyone who knows her. I ache for her family, especially momma.
Was there something wrong with my last question? Also…hose, hairnet and nametag – gawd!
?
B
Several “busted up” phones were found on RAT’s property. The last I heard, investigators were trying to determine if one of them belongs to Alexis. But what about the other phones? That’s a disturbing thought. Could the rest all belong to RAT or to other people?
I think it is important to establish those phone numbers so that warrants can be served for their records and origin, etc.
I have to wonder where the 2 men who were involved with the Samantha Clarke case are these days.
B
An interesting statistic:
A notable trend in Millennials (those born between the ’80s and the early 2000s) is that less are getting a drivers license. Instead, they are utilizing public transportation.
http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/23226489/police-investigate-report-of-body-found-in-manassas-park#axzz2chfyMwiD
****
body found Manassas Virginia
on rare occasions I have randomly driven thru Mannassas due to being lost,
oldfashioned homes in the heart of Mannassas are lovely,
but the population seems low income & transient. A Taylor-type population.
probably lots of So of border immigrants. It borders or is near
to many highways that run from Leesburg (north) to So VA:
28, 29, 50, 66, Dullestoll Rd, etc.
fwiw, I don’t think it is related to Murphy or Taylor, but one can’t discount it immediately as wide as the perimeter is in this case.
B
Manassass Park is about 2 hours drive away from Lovingston on the outskirts of northern virginia, so I doubt it is related.
Blink do you know the names of the 2 men involved with SC? One is not ford is it?
I am familiar with Mr. Ford peripherally, the fugitive from Lynchburg
One of the things I love about twitter: I’m following Alexis’ cousin Jasmine. She tweeted thanks for support and I replied that we were praying for them in SC and she replied back that it meant a lot to them. Not sure I could have had such a personal exchange like that elsewhere.
No bond for Taylor after a short hearing.
Taylor was denied bond today but has decided he does not want a preliminary hearing so his case is going straight to grand jury on September 26 at 9:30 a.m.
Kind of worries me that maybe there really is not enough evidence out there to convict him once again, or at least that’s what he and his attorney think going straight to the grand jury in just about a month’s time.
The public and media were allowed in the court room today by the way it seems at the last minute. But they did close the court room for a time right before the decision was made so evidence could be shown so at least the judge thought the evidence was enough to hold him without bond, at least that sounds a little positive.
Breaking story, Taylor is denied bond:
http://www.blueridgelife.com/2013/08/22/breaking-bond-denied-again-in-alexis-murphy-case/
The body found in Manassas Park is that of a male:
http://m.insidenova.com/mobile/news/crime_police/updated-woodbridge-man-found-dead-in-manassas-park/article_69f69532-0b24-11e3-a03e-001a4bcf887a.html
No bond: Abduction suspect to stay behind bars
Arguing for his client’s release, Taylor’s defense attorney, Charlottesville-based Mike Hallahan, presented the court with a photo of the mystery man who Taylor says left his property with Murphy on August 3, the night she disappeared, after allegedly selling Taylor $60 of marijuana. The photo was not visible to the public in attendance, and Hallahan did not speak the man’s name, but told the judge it was known to investigators.
Taylor “has identified him as an adult who has seen Alexis since he has seen Alexis,” said Hallahan.
~snip~
http://www.readthehook.com/110037/no-bond-abduction-suspect-stay-behind-bars
Okay- so where is Alexis???
snip>
The property is not owned by his Mother. He has relatives in Cville .
B***********************************
Blink, I had read the property belonged to his ex mother in law and was abandoned for some time before she moved back in….
Is it his mothers or mother in laws? sorry don’t mean to doubt you, just curious
The property is not deeded to any relative of his or a female- so I am not sure how to answer your question. According to our findings, whoever wrote that, did not fact check it.
B
Blanco Garcia convicted of first degree murder for killing Vanessa Pham.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/jury-in-vanessa-pham-murder-case-begins-deliberations/2013/08/22/92dd68c2-0b6a-11e3-8974-f97ab3b3c677_story.html?hpid=z2
Why why why is no one following the Jonathan Foster case? This little boy was kidnapped on Christmas Eve and murdered, possibly with a blowtorch, in Houston. The trial of suspect Mona Nelson is going on now yet no one is covering it…not even YOU. Why?
I wish I was in a position to cover every case that touched my heart, or that I felt my skills could help. It does not mean that it is not important.
B
“Taylor “has identified him as an adult who has seen Alexis since he has seen Alexis,” said Hallahan.”
This is my favorite. If your client claims that Alexis and the mystery man left at the same time in two different cars, then how is the mystery man a person who has seen Alexis since Taylor last saw her???? They left at the same time in different cars! How does Taylor know who saw whom after the time they pulled out of the driveway????
Of course, the first version of this tale attributed to Hallahan was that his client was not the last person to see Alexis but the mystery man was the last person to see her. And how does your client know who the last person to see her was????
Just stop talking already.
Agreed, unless there is verifiable communication between the two that might confirm his account. Which, as we know, could be someone in possession of a phone or device in question.
I am going to admit that I find Hallahan’s noise refreshing in this jurisdiction. Imo this comes from his experience from both sides of the lot as we say in Jersey. Not because I think he may have any legal position that can defend his client, but because the loud mouths always tell you how to convict their client really- they do.
He must like ham sandwiches.
B
First time commenting here. Interesting how RT’s attorney never mentions the name of said corn rowed black man with big wheels on his 20 year old car. If they somehow got they guy’s picture, how did they come about it without catching the black guy’s name? I’ll tell you how. This guy doesn’t have a name. He’s just that black guy. You know the one; the one with the corn rows and the big wheels on his 20 year old car. And if you find him, oops we got the wrong black guy; must be a different black guy. Anyone can make a mistake like that. Why get all caught with names and stuff?
I am quite sure that is only due to the sealed warrants in the case. LE knows who he is, and so does counsel and the protective order likely includes this person’s name. In this case, this individual is real- whether or not he is involved, may be another matter.
B
*caught up
Taylor’s attorney could get sued for slander if he mentions his name and his client hasn’t told him the truth.
If he does not believe his client, ethically, he should be motioning for withdrawal.
I do believe that if someone else (cornrow person) is involved, there is no benefit to Taylor to have him picked up. If there was, Hallahan knows the drill better than anyone- leak his name to the media.
B
Update on the coping of the Murphy family- with video
http://www.nbc29.com/story/23241814/family-struggles-for-normalcy-as-search-for-alexis-murphy-continues
LE has a quality want to solve all of these cases with emphasis on AM because she could still be alive. MH is important as well, if for no other reason than crime type and geography. While we know “Corn Rows” exists, the original, and continuing story only holds water residue so far.
While it has not been alluded to, or made public, I would bet a pile of dimes that “Corn Row” has given a DNA sample already. It would have been subjected to that familial DNA voodoo that they do. Rushed results would have been available for perusal by LE already.
There was an arrest made due to familial DNA results, with the crime and perpetrator remaining nameless. While it could be a crime committed by anyone, anywhere in VA, I wonder if it is related to MH but being put on the rear burner. Not publicizing the spectacular would leave focus on finding AM, who may still be alive. My guess is no, but I still can’t help pondering it.
Each passing day slims the chance, but I hope this child is home next week, eating her veggies and groaning about her trig homework.
LOL @voodoo that they do.
My original thought was there was no way that Taylor and his merry riff raff-ites could be involved with Morgan.
I can’t rule it out as I sit here and the truth is in a nearly 4 year old case it is protocol to rule it in ( find the connectors v follow the facts in evidence) as opposed to the exclusion method, and either I come up seeing some folks that percolated early on in MH’s case. I wonder if anyone has asked him.
B